Happy Reformation Day!
Martin Luther had received a revelation of the Holy Spirit about the life-changing grace of God given through faith in Jesus Christ as he struggled his way through reading the Book of Romans. He was compelled to share this truth despite the opposition it brought.
Others in Christian history like the early Pentecostals had received a revelation of the power of the Holy Spirit and they also felt compelled to share it in spite of the opposition it brought them.
Interestingly enough, the Apostle Paul attributed his ministry to both of these important truths in Ephesians 3:7:
“I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God's grace given me through the working of his power.”
“I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God's grace given me through the working of his power.”
Indeed, it was both the grace of God and the power of the Holy Spirit that worked so effectively through Paul in impacting the early Body of Christ.
I was re-reading some of the history of the Pentecostal Revival in Azuza street in Los Angeles, and I noticed how those early Pentecostal pioneers were referencing Martin Luther and the suffering and persecution he endured as a pioneer in the Reformation as an encouragement to themselves in their need to persevere also.
Natural Aids to Spread Supernatural Truth
One of the things that helped spread the Pentecostal revival was the mailing list William Seymour compiled and made which enabled him to communicate to people all over about what the Lord was doing.
One of things that helped spread the Reformation—the Reformation itself was a foundation for later revivals—was the printing press that enabled the reformers to communicate biblical truths to others and print and spread Bibles all over.
One of things that helped spread the Reformation—the Reformation itself was a foundation for later revivals—was the printing press that enabled the reformers to communicate biblical truths to others and print and spread Bibles all over.
Reformation Trail
The Lord used the influence of our friend over there—Pastor Sarah—and redirected our steps by some unusual divine intervention.
After ministering in Frankfurt, we made a plan to meet up with Pastor Sarah the next morning for breakfast in our hotel lobby. After we checked into the hotel and came into our room, we noticed a whimsical painting on the wall with some travel drawings and the name Sarah… wow that was unexpected and so unique… I discerned the Lord was gonna give us some kind of word or direction through her when we saw that.
The next morning during breakfast, she said to us: “I think you guys should go on the Reformation Trail while you’re here in Germany and she brought up Mainz in the conversation.”
Interestingly enough after that, the Lord kept using unexpected things to direct and redirect us right onto the Reformation Trail in surprising ways.
One of the places we ended up visiting in Germany was the Gutenberg Museum in Mainz which shares about the history of the invention of Gutenberg’s printing press and movable type, which was a central feature of the perfect storm that exploded into the Reformation.
The mass printing of Bibles and other booklets and books by the reformers made it much harder to stomp out the early embers of what became the Reformation, as the powers that be of the religious system, had done in the past with early sparks of reform and renewal.
In the past they had burned up the translations of the Bible into English that Wycliffe and his colleagues— the Lollards—had produced and burned to death the translators as well.
The old reflection in jest as time went on was: “things are getting better; they only burned the translations this time… not the translators!”
Wycliffe’s Bibles had to be copied by hand, which took a painstakingly long time to get done… one by one.
Wycliffe’s Bibles had to be copied by hand, which took a painstakingly long time to get done… one by one.
When Gutenberg invented the printing press it tipped the scales.
Even though they tried to burn up all of Tyndale’s Bibles—as I referenced in our last post on this subject—and they strangled and then burned Tyndale himself at the stake—they still couldn’t stop the influx of his Bibles because they could just be quickly re-printed… this would not have been possible before the printing press.
Even though they tried to burn up all of Tyndale’s Bibles—as I referenced in our last post on this subject—and they strangled and then burned Tyndale himself at the stake—they still couldn’t stop the influx of his Bibles because they could just be quickly re-printed… this would not have been possible before the printing press.
The printing press became an important tool in the leap forward of the Reformation in the return to Biblical faith.
Luther’s and Tyndale’s Bibles could be quickly reprinted and distributed and thus it was not so easy to stomp out the Bibles or the movement they were fomenting.
The powers that be of the religious system lost their ability to control the narrative as the Bible could be read by everyday regular people now. Cracks began to appeared under the substitutions for the Bible that were offered by the religious system in lieu of the Living Word like the booklet “The Little Hours of Mary” that promoted the cult of the Virgin.
Interesting how access to the Bible in the people's own language furthered the return to Biblical faith that spread out from the Reformation!
This short video above briefly shares on Luther and the use of the printing press and its role in the Reformation.
Luther’s and Tyndale’s Bibles could be quickly reprinted and distributed and thus it was not so easy to stomp out the Bibles or the movement they were fomenting.
The powers that be of the religious system lost their ability to control the narrative as the Bible could be read by everyday regular people now. Cracks began to appeared under the substitutions for the Bible that were offered by the religious system in lieu of the Living Word like the booklet “The Little Hours of Mary” that promoted the cult of the Virgin.
Interesting how access to the Bible in the people's own language furthered the return to Biblical faith that spread out from the Reformation!
This short video above briefly shares on Luther and the use of the printing press and its role in the Reformation.
The Reformation is important as it became the platform and foundation for the birth of: Renewal Movements, Revivals, Bible Translations, Evangelism, Social Reforms, and Mission Movements, as well as many more!
We encourage you to also check out our video playlist on the Reformation.
We encourage you to also check out our video playlist on the Reformation.
